Westward Expansion: Supplemental Guide | Preface xiii
Trans i t io ni n g
(Intermediate)
- Speaks in simple sentences
- Uses newly learned words
appropriately - With appropriate scaffolding,
able to understand and
produce narratives - Has a much larger receptive
than expressive vocabulary in
English- Use more complex stories and books
- Continue to focus on Tier 2 vocabulary
- Introduce academic terms (e.g., making
predictions and inferences, figurative language) - Use graphic organizers
- Use increasingly difficult question types as
students’ receptive and expressive language skills
improve:- Questions that require short sentence answers
- Why and how questions
- Questions that check for literal and abstract
comprehension
- Provide some extra time to respond
- Pair with high-level English speakers for activities
and discussions focused on the English language
Expanding
(Advanced)
- Engages in conversations
- Produces connected narrative
- Shows good comprehension
- Has and uses expanded
vocabulary in English - Continue work with academic terms (e.g., making
predictions and inferences, figurative language) - Use graphic organizers
- Use questions that require opinion, judgment, and
explanation - Pair with native English speakers
Commanding
(Proficient) - Uses English that nearly
approximates the language of
native speakers - Can maintain a two-way
conversation - Uses more complex
grammatical structures, such
as conditionals and complex
sentences. - Has and uses an enriched
vocabulary in English - Build high-level/academic language
- Expand figurative language (e.g., by using
metaphors and idioms) - Use questions that require inference and
evaluation - Pair with students who have a variety of skills and
language proficiencies
(Adapted from Hirsch and Wiggins 2009, 362–364; New York Department of Education 2013; Smyk et al. 2013)